Ace Your Next Job Interview: How to Answer 20 Common Questions

In about 14 years of working, I’ve sat through a dozen or so job interviews.

While every job may be unique, the interviews often are not.

Some companies may throw you a curveball or even engage you in a candid conversation — but most job interviews will simply guide you through the same series of basic questions.

It sounds boring (and it can be), but you can actually use this repetitiveness to your advantage!

Before heading to your next job interview, arm yourself with answers to these common questions:

Why is the interviewer asking for your work history with your resume sitting inches away?

They may just want to hear how you frame your work history.

Or maybe they want you to explain any gaps in employment or frequent job-hopping.

This is your chance to paint the picture of your work experience in a more useful and interesting way than the mundane list on your resume.

Time to show off!

You applied to this job because you believed you could do it. Why was that again?

Prepare ahead of time, and think carefully about this question.

Every interviewee is going to tout their strong work ethic, ability to be a team player, experience in the field and other generic traits necessary to do the job well.

Stand out by showcasing your unique strengths.

What do you bring to a team that most people don’t? What made you shine in previous jobs? Why do your friends love being around you?

Also make sure you know what the company is looking for. Read the job description carefully.

It tells you exactly what they’re looking for — and even includes some buzzwords they might want to hear!

What you really want to say is, “I didn’t come here to talk about that.”

What you might think you should say is, “Sometimes I’m just too excited about my job.”

What you actually should say is… something real.

Everyone enters a job with some kind of weakness. Let the interviewer know you recognize yours, and explain how you’re working to eliminate it.

I’ve had to bluff my way through plenty of food service job interviews asking me to explain what was so special about the giant, hamburger-slinging corporation I was trying to work for.

If I could conjure an answer other than, “You pay money and don’t do drug tests,” you can prepare a few reasons you’d love to work for your potential employer.

What do you love about the company’s mission and the work it does? What about its culture appeals to you? Do you have any special connection to their services as a customer or community member?

You might have your life together better than I do, but at 30 I don’t know how to answer this ubiquitous question.

In an interview, I’m not afraid to say, “I don’t know,” and it hasn’t disqualified me from a position yet.

If you want to be (or at least appear) more decisive, mention your future dreams and aspirations. What the interviewer really wants to hear is you have goals and working here will help you achieve them in the long run.

Your answer to this question should be pretty straightforward.

But if parting with your current or latest job wasn’t amicable, expecting this question in advance can help you prepare the, er, most “flattering” way to present the truth.

This is your chance to brag!

Take a breather: This is one of the more simple job interview questions.

You can probably even tell the whole truth this time.

Gah! I’ve been blindsided by this one.

It’s not a problem to acknowledge past mistakes in a job interview — but it can sting to be surprised by this one.

Present a mistake, then follow it up with what you learned or how you fixed whatever problem you might have caused — at work, school or in life.

Can you guess the best way to prepare an answer for this question?

Ask your boss and co-workers!

If your job doesn’t offer feedback while you work, ask for it. It’ll help you improve in your current position and prepare yourself for the next one.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a Midwest-raised introvert.

I don’t excel at explaining my special tics to a stranger — without sounding like a weirdo.

But that’s sort of the point. This is a chance to showcase your personality and why it’s a good fit for the company.

You don’t have to lean too hard on your qualifications yet — save that for the next question.

By this point, an interviewer knows your work history, experience, qualifications and even a bit about your personality.

What they want to know now is Why should they hire you and not someone else?

Explain what you alone bring to the position and why no one else can do it like you will. Explain how you’ll uniquely fit into the team.